Rural Access to Broadband: Another Win for Southeast Nebraska

COVID-19 has shone a spotlight on the need for reliable internet service. Thousands of jobs in Nebraska now have options to “work from home,” while many classrooms have been moved online. Remote workers are looking to leave the close confines of urban living, free from the potential constraints of a long commute. Having access to broadband isn’t just a recruitment tool for rural areas- it’s a necessity to thrive in a digital world. Our rural communities need reliable broadband access more than ever, and your Nebraska Legislature has recognized that necessity by passing LB 992 and LB 996 in 2020

LB 992, introduced by Senator Friesen, adopts the Broadband Internet Service Infrastructure Act. This bill also provides certain broadband and internet-related services. LB 992 would allow public power entities to utilize existing easements for the deployment of broadband infrastructure.  

LB 996 is also a win for internet access in Southeast Nebraska. LB 996 provides for a government internet network use policy for the Legislature and creates the Broadband Data Improvement Program. This ensures the State of Nebraska is accurately represented in federal broadband grant programs. These grant programs include grants from the federal Universal Service Fund. The purpose of the Broadband Data Improvement Program is to allocate resources to areas of the state where public feedback, crowdsourcing, or other evidence suggests that the federal broadband data may be inaccurate, develop a statewide outreach plan to promote citizen participation in a state or federal broadband data crowdsource program and more. 

Governor Ricketts also allocated $40 million to rural broadband remote access grant programs from CARES Act funding, spurring investment in state-of-the-art fiber infrastructure. 

The $40 million in CARES Act funding, LB 992, and LB 996 will each improve broadband access in rural Nebraska. This is a win for rural Nebraska, especially in our corner of the state where hills limit access to line-of-sight towers. We must invest in strong internet infrastructure to cover our entire state, and these three initiatives are massive steps in the right direction.

As always, I welcome your input on issues important to you. Follow along on my Facebook and Twitter pages, both entitled “Senator Julie Slama” for more updates, or contact me directly at Senator Julie Slama, District 1 State Capitol, PO Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509-4604; telephone 402-471-2733; email: jslama@leg.ne.gov .